A note from Alex:
This itinerary and write up is from a first time rider’s perspective.
It was sent to me after the ride and it’s a very good description.
Thanks to Mac Macdonald for the words.
ENJOY!
How it started.
The Idea came from Steve Brown, a long-time friend of mine from our Air Force days
in Germany. “How do you fancy a bit of an adventure’’ he says. Well, that got my
attention. The adventure was “India’s Lost World” and consisted of a 14 day 1900km
ride through the 7 states of North East India onboard the Royal Enfield Himalayan
with a company called Nomadic Knights. The trip started in March, so flights, jabs,
visas, travel insurance, International driving permit, hotels etc. – all had to be sorted
pretty quick. I’m one of those retired people and I had plenty of time to chase round
after everything. Nomadic Knights supply the bike, fuel, accommodation, food,
mechanics, back up trucks, and a medical support, all included in the price. All I had
to do was get myself and my biking gear there. They also supply an Information
Pack with all relevant info needed to help you prepare for the ride.
The packing was an interesting task. Helmet, boots, riding suit, body armour, plus
normal clothes, and keeping within the 20kg airline limit and getting it into the bags I
already had. Let’s just say it took quite a few trial packs to get it just right.
In the meantime another friend from the same Germany days had heard about the
trip and that’s how Mick Brelsford found himself a place with us. With flights from
different places in the UK it was decided that we would meet in Delhi for our onward
flight to Guwahati, so on March 15th I flew out of Glasgow bound for India.
We arrived in Delhi from the UK at different times and then had a bit of a layover
before our onward flight to Guwahati.
DAY 1: ARRIVE AT BRAHMAPUTRA JUNGLE RESORT
We basically got all our stuff sorted out. All documentation required for the journey
was taken onboard by Alex’s wife Vidhya. She’s Indian and would be dealing with all
officials at border checkpoints. One thing we Brits left behind in India is Bureaucracy
– doing a trip like this without a fixer or speaking the language would be nearly
impossible. We got to choose our bike for the trip and got it set up to suit.
My bike had 68Kms on the clock and with the soft panniers and tank bag fitted had
enough room to carry the essentials. The rest of my gear would go in the support
truck and would be available at our stop point each night.
Due to a problem at Delhi with the ATM’s we couldn’t get any Rupee’s, so a trip into
Guwahati to an ATM was sorted by Alex and off the 3 of us went in another Taxi.
Cashed up, we then did a bit of sightseeing courtesy of our taxi driver who was really
chuffed that he was showing 3 Brits around his home turf, much to the envy of his
fellow drivers. At the end of the taxi tour (which lasted about 2 hours) he dropped us
off. The fare was 1200 rupees (£12) for the 3 of us, but he was over the moon when
we each gave him that amount.
DAY 2: TEPESIA-TEZPUR
166km (Assam)
After breakfast, Alex called us all together and went through everything that we
needed to know. We were then issued with our guidebook for the trip which covered
every day’s riding with route, maps, distance, hotel, and useful tips and background
information about the area. Alex was leading with his wife Vidhya as pillion, and ABU
bringing up the rear, 14 bikes riding as a group – what could possibly go wrong?
This would be our first on the road day and would take us from Guwahati (Assam) to
Tezpur (Assam), a distance of 166Kms on mainly tarmac roads. I say mainly tarmac
because the pot holes were so big you could lose a Tuk Tuk in them. And without
warning, the tarmac would just stop and suddenly become a dirt road, complete
with pot holes of equal size. This seemed to be the norm throughout the tour.
Random pieces of tarmac would appear only to disappear again back into dirt.
Which left you wondering why that piece of tarmac had been laid in that particular
place.
Riding conditions were hot and dusty and traffic was a bit manic for the first day.
But Alex’s advice to expect the unexpected and ride accordingly stood us in good
stead.
DAY 3: TEZPUR-BOMDILA
155km (Arunachal Pradesh)
We were up early for breakfast and at 08.00, we set off on our days riding, but not
before we refuelled. Another spectacle that drew the crowds was border
checkpoints. 14 bikes in a line. Again, we had lots of requests for photographs.
When we finally got going again the roads were a mix of tarmac and dirt with lots of
pot holes, cows, and monkeys. Tata trucks and buses were belching out black
exhaust fumes everywhere. Tuk-Tuks and every cobbled-together kind of cart you
could think of were all trying to get from A to B. Utter chaos. Utterly thrilling.
Indian drivers have a strange use for their indicators. When you come up behind a
vehicle the driver will indicate right, so you back off expecting him to turn. But when
you back off, he puts the indicator off. So, you move to overtake again and on it
comes again. Apparently this is the sign for you to overtake. But, it can also mean
‘I’m turning right’. So again, we had to expect the unexpected.
DAY 4: BOMDILA-TEZPUR
210km (Assam)
Due to the roadworks we would have to get going early or else risk being stuck
waiting for the road to open again. We managed a quick clockwise walk around the
grounds of the Buddhist temple and answered many questions by the inhabitants
before we set off. The views that greeted us going down were spectacular and scary
at the same time. The road had no barrier along its edge and the drop off in some
places was sheer. We had ridden that same road the previous night in the dark.
Time was against us and we had to make progress. This allowed us to test the wee
Himalayan’s ability to deliver the goods which it did with no issues at all. The road in
some places was a single track with no traffic control. So when trucks coming from
the opposite direction just keep coming in convoy, we had to take to the rough stuff
at the side of the road. This certainly was interesting but no problem for this bike. I
don’t think any of the riders had a bad word to say about it.
Day 4 ended back at the hotel we had left the day before and lots of discussions
about the road we rode in the dark.
DAY 5: TEZPUR-DIMAPUR
220km (Nagaland)
Normal start time for this leg of the journey and again like every day, it started with
a brief from Alex on what to expect. And a check to see if everyone had the
guidebook with them, and to know, where they were going, how far it was, and what
hotel we were stopping at that night. He continued on to tell us about The Naga
people., Nagaland wanted Independence from India and a long fought campaign had
been going for many years. This was one of the reasons why this part of India had
been so difficult to get to. And even now, the Indian Army would not venture into
certain areas.
A no man’s land existed on the road we were going to ride and the brief was ‘Stop
for nothing’. When we got to that point, we were to keep in a close group and just
keep going until Alex stopped. Seeing Indian troops on foot patrol and jeeps with
GPMG’s mounted and manned did bring home the fact that things could happen
here.
Fortunately nothing happened and our day continued through a flat countryside of
what looked like paddy fields with brick furnaces every mile or so. What I thought
was paddy fields turned out to be clay pits for making bricks.
DAY 6 DIMAPUR-KOHIMA
80 km (Nagaland)
A deliberately planned short leg today would allow us to arrive at the hotel early. We
wanted to spend some time at the site of one of the battles fought in this region
against the Japanese during WW2. ‘The Battle of the Tennis Court’. It’s well
documented online, but actually standing there and imagining Japanese soldiers
fighting with Indian and British soldiers gave me goosebumps. Mick was quite
emotional. And it wasn’t until we looked at the gravestone he was standing beside
that we realised it was his Grandfathers. This was one of the main reasons that Mick
had joined the trip at short notice, but hadn’t mentioned it until this time. Heavy
stuff which needed a beer or three afterwards.
DAY 7: KOHIMA-IMPHAL
140km (Manipur)
Each time we crossed into a different state, it was like travelling into a different
country. I mentioned earlier that one of the things the Brits had left behind was
bureaucracy. As we crossed into a new state, every bit of paperwork was scrutinised
and sometimes rejected with little reason given. Without Alex’s wife Vidhya on the
case, I think getting through these border posts would have been a nightmare.
Today we came across some of the worst roads so far. Dust and ruts were the order
of the day. In some places, I estimated the visibility down to 3 metres and falling
into some of the ruts had the foot-pegs digging in. On top of that, 4×4’s, which were
constantly up your backside and blowing their horns “to let you know they were
there”. There was no way they could see to overtake, until I witnessed one do just
that. Expect the unexpected. By the time we reached our hotel that evening we were
physically and mentally exhausted as it had been the most demanding day so far.
Then to find that the hotel had a power cut was just taking the piss. The hot water
from the tap was tepid. So, a bucket and jug cleared the road grime and the first
beer cleared the dust from my throat. The next 3 or 4 eased all the aches and pains.
DAY 8: IMPHAL-SILCHAR
266km (Assam)
Alex wanted us to get an early start today as we had a long way to go. He advised us
that this road was a complete mess the last time he rode it. So, be prepared for a
long day in the saddle.
Once out of the town, we joined a piece of pristine tarmac and to be honest, we were
quite pleased to have a bit of a break from the dust and pot holes. We were
expecting it to revert to the normal road type but it just kept going and going. It was
glorious riding.
As we had an early start, Alex pulled off for our first Chai stop and found out to his
surprise that the road was like this all the way to Silchar. It looked like an easier day
ahead. Chai drunk, we headed back onto the smooth blacktop but were immediately
aware of the effect pristine tarmac has on Indian drivers when coming towards us.
There were 2 trucks side by side with a 4×4 overtaking both of them. This is where
use of the horn has no effect and taking to the rough stuff at the side of the road is
the only option. This was not an isolated incident and a few close calls were
experienced thoughout the day. It’s all part of the adventure I suppose.
DAY 9: SILCHAR-AIZAWL
172km (Mizoram)
The end of today’s ride would be a rest day and we were all ready for it. The ride to
Aizawl was uneventful until we got to the outskirts of the city which is perched on a
hill. The road had degraded back to what we had come to expect but the amount of
scooters had increased 10 fold. And they all seemed to be going in the same
direction as we were and trying to find the best way between the holes in the road. It
would be easier to say there were more holes than road.
The road was fine until we reached the hill leading up to Aizawl. The traffic busied
and the whacky races started. The condition of the road was like channels dug into
the ground with hundreds of scooters all around.
We stopped halfway up for a drink and to regroup for the last bit to the hotel. We
stood and watched the traffic, amazed that no collisions happened but how at close
they nearly came to it. As usual we attracted a bit of a crowd but one driver was so
interested he just stopped his truck on the road and got out to come and talk to us
and see the bikes. He spoke pretty good English and the fact that his truck was now
causing a major traffic jam didn’t seem to faze him at all.
DAY 10: REST DAY IN AIZAWL
(Mizoram)
Touristy stuff and eating out today but not before we all had to report in person to
the main police station to have our documents cleared. Alex organised the taxis and
we all went together. 2 hours later we left the police station with an authorised
stamp and had not seen an official in person.
A bit of lunch and a wander about the town plus lots of pictures was the order of the
day. As it got dark, the one thing we hadn’t seen for the previous 9 days arrived with
gusto overnight, I’ve experienced rain in Equitorial Guinea and this was very similar.
Our thoughts went to the state of the roads we had just ridden on to get here and
what they would be like after this. We would soon find out.
DAY 11: AIZAWL-DHARMANAGAR
205km (Tripura)
Another long leg today but at least the rain had stopped and the sun had come out
to dry the roads in town. We went back down the hill to find torrents of water
running down the channels we had avoided on the way up and then understood how
the channels were formed in the first place. Once we were out of the city the roads
were not too bad and we managed to make good time. However, the rain was still
hanging about and the waterproofs were dug out as the sky ahead and fork lightning
suggested we were about to get wet.
We came to a bit of a traffic jam and filtered through to the front to find a steep hill
in front of us with numerous vehicles attempting to climb it. They were failing
miserably in the thick mud and this included 4×4’s. Alex gathered us together and
told us it was about a half mile to the top, and we had to get up it in order to
continue.
Alex set off first with Vidhya on the back and went past the 4×4’s that were finding it
hard going. Soon, he was a good way up and out of sight. We set off and hit the hill.
The Himalayan pulled all the way up to the top and hardly lost traction at all.
However, at one point I thought the bike was sinking into the mud. But I was still
moving forward.
DAY 12: DHARMANAGAR-SILCHAR
125km (Assam)
This morning, when we assembled to load up the bikes, we came to 14 spotless
machines. All the mud from the day before had been cleaned off by the support
crew. They’re on top of everything and really earn their money.
We were becoming old sweats with riding in India. We now understood the hierarchy
of the traffic and knew when we could push our presence and when we had to yield.
This held good for me and the previous nervousness I felt had eased, but not
disappeared, which was a good thing. We could see the adventure coming to a close
and were not too happy about it. With an adventure like this and the way it had been
organised, we just wanted to keep it going. The road to Silchar was one of the newly
laid tarmac sections. The three abreast overtaking manoeuvres were back but we
were ready for them this time.
DAY 13: SILCHAR-SHILLONG
216km (Meghalaya)
More good roads on this route with a steady climb up to the city at 1500 metres. As
we were climbing, we could feel the temperature start to drop for the first time. So
much so that I had to dig out my jacket at one of our Chai stops. We sheltered inside
as the temperature dropped dramatically. We finished our Chai and got back on the
bikes with a couple of hours riding left until our overnight stop. The sun came back
out but the temperature still stayed low. While coming through one of the small
villages, we actually saw snow building up by the side of the road.
Shillong is a busy Hill Station and probably the busiest we had encountered so far.
Finding the hotel was a bit of a job as the traffic was that heavy and the sight of a
helmet was all that was visible. A quick regroup at the side of the road and we were
back on course again. We were heading for the Blueberry Inn. Our penultimate
overnight stop and ultimate luxury after our previous overnighters. Everyone was
feeling the same way about the trip coming to an end but we were having such a
laugh. Lots of beers and great food. Alex suggested to have a whip round for the
support team as a bonus for their great work. We had no problem with that as we
couldn’t take Indian rupees home anyway.
DAY 14: SHILLONG-TEPESIA (FINISH)
100km (Assam)
Every good thing comes to an end and this was our last day of riding and also the
last day of sunshine as it was overcast all the way. We were heading back to the
start point at Brahmaputra Jungle Resort and the many goodbye’s to our fellow
riders. When we finally got off our bikes at the resort, it was a really emotional event
with many of us unable to say very much. Alex cracked open his special Single Malt
to share. Alex, his team, and the resort, laid on a great meal that night and lots of
beer was consumed.
Day 15: Depart
My taxi was booked for 06.00 the next morning to get me to the airport and onward
via Delhi, Dubai, and finally Glasgow. I still look at the photographs I took of the
journey and the memories will be with me forever. It was brilliant.
Steve and I went to the classic TT and over a few pint’s hatched a plan to revisit Alex
and his crew for another adventure. So come August 2019 we’ll be riding ‘The Roof
Of India’ in the Indian Himalayas astride the Royal Enfield Himalayan again.
If any of you are looking for a bucket list ride, a once in a lifetime motorcycle
adventure, then a trip with Nomadic Knights should be first on your list.
Believe me when I tell you that you won’t regret it.
The End